Google: Maps

I have just managed to find my first live example of the next step for the advanced verification beta test for locksmiths and plumbers in San Diego. We knew that these businesses had to pass advanced verification before November 10 or Google was going to be removing their listings. So now that we are past that date, what happened? As you can see, the search results (which o ...

… According to Google, Android Auto is now available from “more than 50 [automotive] brands” on in-dash screens. However, seeking to accelerate adoption and reach broader market of drivers who don’t own one of those compatible cars, the company is introducing an Android Auto experience for smartphones. It makes a version of the Android Auto…

… and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here. About The Author Sherry Bonelli is the Local Search Evangelist at BrightLocal. She leads BrightLocal's Research & Content programs and champions the needs of their SEO Agency and SMB customers. Having worked in digital marketing since 1998, Sherry has a Master’s Degree in Internet Marketing…

…; it does not definitively say these characteristics are ranking factors. The study assembled data from over 100 different ranking factors, 30,000 businesses and 3,000 local searches. Factors analyzed in the study included Google My Business listings, on-site website factors, off-site local factors (including citations) and links. Industry standard…

… For brick-and-mortar businesses, proximity to the searcher’s location has become even more important as a ranking signal thanks to a Google algorithm update nicknamed Possum. With the Possum algorithm change, Google is continuing down a path it has been traveling for quite some time, which is the merging of local and organic ranking signals…

… they are not. They have just been filtered — they’re playing possum. What was the update? All the evidence seems to indicate this particular update only impacted ranking in the 3-pack and Local Finder (AKA the local results or Google Maps results). There is talk of another update that happened right after, which impacted organic results. I believe the main…

… From the Urban Engines’ web site The next major incarnation of Google Maps may be as a kind of “urban operating system.” That’s the vision of Urban Engines, a Los Altos, California-based two-year-old startup that the tech giant has acquired. Two of the four co-founders are former Google engineers; deal terms were not made public…

… Google bought travel software company ITA in 2010 promising to bring travel searchers next-generation travel tools and experiences. Then Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Marissa Mayer said that the company wanted to create consumer travel products that “solve end user problems” and “look different” from existing tools. That promise so far has gone…

… those without images. Likewise, Socialbakers reported that of the top 10 percent most engaging Facebook posts (likes, shares, comments), 93 percent of them were photos. And a study by BrightLocal found that 60 percent of consumers agreed that local results with images grab their attention and influence decision-making. The opposite is also true…

… It seems very apparent that Google has a filter for local that weeds through all the listings that should appear in the 3-pack on Google and in the Local Finder (when you click “More Places”), then filters some based on their spam score. Bill Slawski wrote about this in July and referenced the patent that was granted June 21, 2016, about…

…. In fact, we’re seeing the buildings the pins represent undergoing a radical transformation in their clickability. If you open Google Maps and zoom in on your current location, you’ll notice that the walls of the buildings around you have become much more distinct and “3-D” — so much so that they cast tiny digital shadows. The buildings themselves…

… events. In addition Google added maps of the 25 indoor venues and will be adding more information for the the 12 outdoor venues. Below is an indoor mapping example for the Maracana soccer stadium. All the major mapping providers (Apple, Google, Bing, HERE) have rolled out indoor mapping to varying degrees. But the promise and initial expectations…

… Last month at SMX Advanced, Dan Leibson and I unveiled the results of what we believe to be the largest ever statistical study of Google’s Local SEO ranking factors. We looked at over 100 factors across 30,000 businesses to try to figure out how local businesses can rank better in Google, and the results were both surprising and perhaps not so…

… As an avid Google Maps user on both a personal and business level, I’ve often wished for a more interactive and all-inclusive experience. For instance, wouldn’t it be great to get suggestions for options like the closest coffee shop or lunch spot while I’m driving from Point A to Point B? Sure, I could pull over, open up Google and search…

… Recently, a dermatologist in Hollywood, Florida, hired us for a consultation. He had three listings on Google My Business and wanted to know how to consolidate them. It turned out he actually had five, and the issues they were causing were a bit worse than he had realized. When we started, I made a full list of his duplicates…